Vehicles such as pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) often include mud flaps positioned behind one or more of the vehicle's wheels to prevent spray of mud, water, and/or debris on the vehicle body and/or in the air behind the vehicle. On some vehicles, a traditional mud flap may be simply a rectangular piece of rubber that is bolted, or otherwise attached, to a wheel well so that the traditional mud flap extends below the body of the vehicle and behind the corresponding tire.
On other vehicles, a mud flap may be more integral to the wheel well itself. That is, the mud flap, while still being bolted or otherwise attached to a vehicle body, may be more structural than a traditional mud flap (e.g., a traditional rubber mud flap), and may define at least a portion of the wheel well itself. In such vehicles, the mud flap may be described as a portion of the wheel well itself and/or as an extension of the wheel well, and may be made of plastic, metal and/or another material that is more structural or stiffer than rubber, for example. Such mud flaps may be described as factory mud flaps, because they may be designed, manufactured, and installed by the manufacturer of the vehicle, as opposed to being manufactured by an aftermarket supplier and installed by a consumer. A non-exclusive example of a vehicle having a factory mud flap is a 2008 TOYOTA® SEQUOIA® vehicle. On the 2008 TOYOTA® SEQUOIA® vehicle, the factory mud flap actually forms part of the structure that defines the wheel well and is not simply a bolted-on piece of rubber. Stated differently, the factory mud flap on the 2008 TOYOTA® SEQUOIA® vehicle does not simply extend below the lower edge of the vehicle body, and instead forms part of the structure of the wheel well and further extends below the lower edge of the vehicle body, thereby extending the wheel well.
Fender flares are vehicular body extensions that may be installed on a vehicle for a variety of aesthetic and/or functional reasons. For example, fender flares may be used to enhance the appearance of a vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, fender flares may be used to ensure that tire widths extending beyond, or outside of, a vehicle's wheel well are adequately covered to prevent spray of mud, water, and/or debris on the vehicle body as well as in the air behind the vehicle. Accordingly, fender flares may be described as extending the width, or depth, of a vehicle's wheel wells.
Fender flares may be installed by the vehicle manufacturer, for example as part of the original design of the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, fender flares may be installed aftermarket as a customization of a vehicle. Examples of aftermarket fender flares are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,238,268, 5,879,045, 5,697,644, and D570,509, and in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/843,507 and 12/132,544, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.